How to be a Better Marketer than Santa Claus?

Whether you celebrate the Christmas holiday or not, you have to agree, Santa is the ultimate marketer. For one month out of the year (December), he does a bunch of high profile joint partnerships (tie-ins with everyone from Macy’s to Salvation Army – not to mention Rudolph), everyone is talking about him the whole time (effective word of mouth marketing), and, in one night, he gets more done than most of us do all year!

Santa Marketing Facts:

Branding: Everyone knows who he is and what his story is about, where to find him and how he works! Not to mention, the all important, everyone wants what he has to offer.

Networking: This guy is all over the place: Shopping malls, holiday parties, he does cameos on most of our favorite TV programs, special appearances at the White House, Rockefeller Center and just about every big gig this season…

Exposure: No one gets more air time then this guy: TV specials, newscasts, radio spots, commercials, billboards, print and, everywhere online!

How does Santa do it? And more importantly, how can you duplicate it?

OK, really, you aren’t gonna be able to compete with this guy. And, if you think about it, he only dominates the month of December (OK, maybe the tail end of November).

But what if you could tap into some of that energy, and spread it over 12 months?

What if you could be everywhere you need to be, and everyone truly wants what you offer? What if you knew how to extend the reach of your services/products, and in a genuine way in which people truly see your offerings as a gift?!

If you have been following me for some time, you know that is what social marketing is about: providing knowledge, insights, ease… to your customers. Today, it’s about effectively being found in all the right places, and instead of selling yourself (boo), you extend tips and insights that people want and can benefit from (yippie)!

So, how can you accomplish this for your own business? Why not do what effective marketers do?

As an online marketing professional, marketing my own business has become about finding the right tools to use. So, what makes a tool ‘right’ for me? It MUST be easy to use, it helps to provide step by step guidance and it always makes it more fun when it offers insights and inspiration.

In 2010, one of the most effective marketing tools I used was the Marketing Mentor Marketing Plan + Calendar.

Last year, Ilise from Marketing Mentor (a marketing consultant for creative professionals) came out with a spiral bound step by step marketing machine. Curious about it, I bought it and used it throughout 2010, thinking “I bet my clients could benefit from this!” But before I told anyone about it, I wanted to make sure it was going to work. And it did! Now, of course, I already do a lot of marketing, so I opted for the Advanced Plan, but Marketing Mentor offers an easy to follow Beginner Plan, too. And, Ilise makes it super easy to use.

Yet there was something missing.

While I was waiting for the arrival of the physical marketing plan and calendar, I thought “Why doesn’t she havean online version of this? Something that I could use right away and which would prompt me to remember to use the physical version, when I got busy with everyday distractions.”

Well, this year, Ilise came up with a downloadable eCalendar version!

I bought it as soon as I heard it came out, but not before I sent Ilise an email telling her I wanted to share it with my friends and clients. I told her how I bought the spiral copy, and used it throughout the year. I really saw how it has made my own company more effective. And, now with the eCalendar version, I knew I was ready to share it with everyone, so you can all benefit, too!

This is how you can make 2011 your most effective/prosperous year, yet!

It breaks out easy marketing actions and syncs them with your iCal, Google calendar, Outlook or any other electronic calendar

It prompts you, not only with reminders about specific steps to take, but also offers some fun inspiration

The eCalendar makes suggestions on cost-effective and free marketing tools to choose from, while guiding you — one day at a time — through an entire year of consistent marketing activities

It keeps you on track and gets you the clients you want. All you have to do is follow the included guide to get this set up within minutes. Then it gives you reminders to take your action steps! What could be easier?!

This spiral-bound, printed calendar has all of your marketing “to dos” in it.

It goes beyond the daily, weekly, and monthly reminders that you get in the eCalendar, and breaks down the tasks in further detail.

It includes more insight, tips, articles, and extra guidance… Plus, it is tangible and has plenty of room for notes

If you prefer, you can purchase just the eCalendar. To me, though, the bundle combination is the way to go. And Ilise is offering us more than just the special sales price. She is also including this bonus:

Buy the Marketing Mentor Calendar Bundle now, and get the bonus, “My Monthly Recap Worksheet,” a comprehensive document which allows you to tally your marketing at the end of each month.

Make sure your marketing efforts are easy, fun, & effective, just like Santa’s, only throughout the whole year!

For screen shots and more info, visit the Marketing Mentor site. If you have questions about the Marketing Mentor Marketing Plan + Calendar, or this special bundle, either comment below or [intlink id=”8″ type=”page”]contact me directly[/intlink]! Your gotta love it as much as I do!

Bethany Siegler

Bethany is the founder of UniqueThink, an online marketing and web design/development firm in Boulder, CO. She specializes in WordPress websites and blogs, Email Marketing and overall marketing strategies.